I'm a kook. I know this and I make no apologies for it, but yesterday I did something I've never done before...
First, let me give you a little background on myself. I'm what is called a "Super Taster". In other words, I am a VERY PICKY EATER. I hate bitter, sour and super sweet tasting foods (although I have taught myself to like vegetables. This was no easy task, let me tell you.) I hate foods most people enjoy. If you want to see me run faster than Jackie Joyner Kersee, just put a plate of mashed potatoes in front of me. (Oh, yes. I went there.) And for the record, I also hate alcohol, eggs, bananas and pretty much anything that's too sweet for its own good.
Got it?
Now. Couple that with the fact that I have a lot of food sensitivities. Milk being the number one culprit for any gastrointestinal problems I may have. It also has a tendency to cause my skin to break out and it is the sole cause of arthritis in my hands.
Still with me?
Now. Triple that with the fact that I'm somewhat of a health nut. I try to eat nutritious foods and I exercise at least 5 times a week. Watching what I eat and trying to maintain a healthy weight are vastly important to me.
Take all these things and what you've got is a person who has a limited number of choices at the supermarket. In my on-going search for a suitable beverage to enjoy my whole oat cereal with in the morning time, this is what I've encountered:
Cow's Milk - Nix. Allergic to it. And not just to the lactose so the lactose-free milk does me no good either.
Soy Milk - Nada. Well, it's soy. If you haven't heard yet, it's not very good for you. Stay away -- FAR away.
Rice Milk - Nope. NASTY AS ALL GET OUT. (Might be my super taster side making an appearance here.)
Coconut Milk - Uh-uh. Way too sweet.
Almond Milk - I love it! But for some strange reason it makes me bloated. I feel like I'm carrying an inflated balloon around in my stomach all day.
I was at the end of my rope. I love cereal, but I hate it dry so what's a woman to do?
So, yesterday I was in the kitchen and not really wanting to "cook" breakfast, I reached for the box of cereal in the cabinet. I poured a bowl. I knew I had a container or two of Almond milk in the fridge, but not really wanting to feel like the blueberry girl from Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, I paused.
Then I noticed the bottled water sitting on the refrigerator shelf. Hmm... "Should I?"
Well, fast forward five minutes and I couldn't believe what I was tasting. I thought for sure it was headed straight for the garbage disposal, but to my surprise -- I actually LIKED it. Not too sweet or thick. No bloating, acne or any other adverse affects I normally get with other drinks.
It may be too early to call right now, but I think I'm hooked. Heh. How you like dem apples?
Just goes to show you, challenging the status quo might change the way you look at life. And cereal.
Who knew?
